The T Receives Two Awards in IABC's Bronze Quill Program

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) received two awards from the Fort Worth Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for marketing programs developed in partnership with their agency of record, Concussion Advertising and PR.

The T was honored with an Award of Merit for the external communications campaign, The T Takes you Places, and an Award of Excellence for the direct mail portion of the campaign.

“The campaign developed by Concussion has been a win-win not just for The T, but for the historical landmarks, museums, restaurants and live music venues that have been featured,” said Richard Maxwell, assistant vice president of marketing for The T. “I’m pleased to see the recognition from the IABC because this campaign did exactly what we wanted – increased ridership.”

The campaign, The T Takes you Places, features local destinations served by The T’s bus routes – such as Joe T. Garcia’s, the Medical District and Convention Center – spelled out on a bus marquee. The headlines are supported by a tagline explaining, “the T takes you places.”

The direct mail portion of the campaign enticed trial ridership with the hope of changing public opinion by communicating that buses can be used to access a variety of locations in Fort Worth, and The T is a reliable, affordable and eco-friendly way to travel throughout the city.

“We are very proud of what we do, and felt promoting the services of The T would not only help our client, but also benefit the members of the Fort Worth community who use public transportation out of necessity or choice,” said Allen Wallach, CEO of Concussion.

Every year, IABC sponsors three levels of communication awards programs for members and nonmembers: Bronze Quill awards, Silver Quill awards, and Gold Quill awards. Business communicators can choose to enter their best professional work produced the year prior in these Quill communications contests. The specific divisions and categories for each contest can vary, but typical divisions include writing and editing.

The Bronze Quill awards program is hosted by the Fort Worth IABC chapter, with the board of directors planning and executing the contest. The competition is open to business communicators working with a specific city and/or a small region of a state/province.